Page 52 of Queen of Diamonds

“Where are we going?” she hissed as I opened my door and pushed her in. I didn’t answer, slamming the door behind me.

“Zed.” She spun on me, clearly realising we were in my bedroom. “What the hell?”

“I can’t control Kyan,” I told her.

“This is your solution?”

“Would you like him creeping into your cell in the middle of the night?” I asked, fist still tight around the chain as I dragged her to my bed.

“More than I want to be cuffed with you like some kind of?—”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” I snorted, not looking her way as I reached down to find the thick wire loop secured with a number lock attached to the frame. “Besides, I told you, if you fucked around you’d sleep chained to the foot of my bed.” Well, this was the head, not the foot, but I needed her in eyesight. Though, having her in eyesight had been the plan before I’d seen the insane outfit she’d decided to wear. Now, I was rethinking it.

Clearly realising what I was about to do, she threw her weight against me viciously. “This is stupid,” she hissed.

“You trying to escape by pretending to be in heat was stupid.”

“Fuck you—!” she snarled as I dragged her toward the headboard. “Wait. What…?” She seemed to be scrambling wildly for an out. “What if I need to pee?”

“Do you?”

“No.”

I flashed her a smile before throwing my weight into dragging the chain to the wire. “Then you’ll have to wake me up, Little Devil.” I almost winced, regretting the nickname the moment I’d used it. Too familiar. But she was so pissed she didn’t seem to notice.

“No, just—Fuck!” She let out a hiss of fury as I closed the lock around the metal chain.

I let go of her at last, straightening to examine my work. A huge mistake, since I’d dragged her curvy-as-fuck Omega body into a position that kind of resembled presentation.

Well. There went any hope of unsinful dreams for the next goddamned year.

Luckily, she turned quickly, snuffing out the flash of lust by kicking out and almost catching my nuts before I jumped back.

I grinned. “Good luck getting out of that.”

“Good luck sleeping,” she spat.

“Bed’s big enough,” I said with a shrug, heading for the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for sleep.

By the time I was done, my brain must have reset, because walking out and seeing her lying on my sheets, arms trapped above her head, chest heaving and eyes flashing with hatred was like being hit with a truck.

Why was she so goddamned hot?

I saw Omegas all the time—we lived in Vegas, for fuck’s sake. There was no shortage of sexy women.

I never even noticed them, though. She was like a brand, burned into my brain, a bright outline in the pitch black.

Fucking scent matches should not be this potent.

My skin was even reacting, palms prickling from where I’d brushed her, like she was calling to me. As if every touch was made of a million whispers waiting to follow me all the way to my dreams.

I slipped under my blankets, ignoring her furious-cute little growl as I did. She shifted, trying to kick me, but only managed to brush me with her toes. “Too short,” I chuckled, shutting my lamp off, and trying to ignore how thick the air was with dark cream cardamom.

19

GLADE

Ifelt a flash of victory when Zed rolled over, fast asleep, putting himself unknowingly within kicking reach. I was preparing myself to wake him, going for the most pain I could manage. When he shifted again, it was his pale hand reaching out in the darkness and curling around my waist.

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